


Taking Flight

by Rambert



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Crows, Danger, Family Feels, Fly you fools, Friendship, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Other, Pack Meetings, Talking Animals, This probably reads like an ornithologist's nightmare, birds of a feather flock together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22617724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rambert/pseuds/Rambert
Summary: When the construction of a new bridge threatens their habitat, a small murder of crows must fight against all odds to survive.
Comments: 2





	Taking Flight

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a quick little idea I jotted down a couple years ago and never did anything with so I'm posting it here. Maybe one day I'll add to it. Definitely will take tag suggestions bc I've never tagged this sort of thing before lol
> 
> oh and the crow's name is EEM-manuel not ihm-manuel and his nickname is EEM-an

"You're late, Immanuel."  
  
Immanuel ducked his head, twitching in agitation as he landed and shook dust from his feathers. The large black crow-- the seventh member to arrive in this little murder-- let out an angry _caw_.  
  
"Sorry, Old Rook. I had to deal with a _human_ ," he crowed with contempt.

"There I was, minding my own fuckin' business in the back of a Home Depot parking lot, trying to snap up some employee sandwich crusts or the ants that were trying to find that shit, and some jackass decided to peel through at 40 mph! Like he couldn't even _see_ me, even though he has those _giant lights on his car!_ "  
  
"That's terrible, Iman, but you're okay now," piped up Rhemus as he moved in close to groom Immanuel's feathers, trying to soothe him.

But Immanuel moved away while clicking his beak in irritation.  
  
"Fuck off, Rhemus, you can't just groom me out of it this time," he said in a sour tone.  
  
Rhemus, hurt, backed away.

"I'm glad you're all right at least," he said quietly.  
  
Immanuel sighed through his nostrils. He'd have to apologize to Rhemus later, when there weren't so many other eyes on them.  
  
"All right. If you two have finished?"

That was Jarvis, the Old Rook. He fluttered his large wings with impatience.  
  
"Normally, Immanuel, I would castigate you for your chronic lateness and instigating attitude, but today I do not have the time. The news is in about the bridge, and it's bad."  
  
"How bad?"   
  
The Old Rook sighed, his wrinkled nostrils flaring.

"Very bad. Recon said one of their boys saw a sign that said "YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING AT WORK, CITY OF MONTGOMERY. NEW BRIDGE PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED IN 2019. EXPECT DELAYS BEGINNING OCT 2".  
  
"Sheeee _it_!"

This came from Sam, the second-oldest crow present besides Jarvis.

"They're really doing it! Where'd they get the money?!"  
  
"Damned if I know," Jarvis said, clicking his beak.

"They can't even fix the pot holes after the winter's wreaked havoc on the roads for yet another year, but they can build a new bridge right through our nests, apparently."

"They want to connect the parks, don't you see?"

That was Flor, who had asked for a position on the Council when she could not bear her own children. It was controversial as it had only been male crows up until that point, but Jarvis had welcomed her despite the criticisms from his peers.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" she said, aggravated at all of them.

"Even you, Old Rook, should have seen this coming long ago. This spot has been in the middle of human territory for years now-- every year they are pushing, trying to scare us away so they can take our land for good. This place was never safe for us. Soon it won't even be safe for the Herons and Egrets."

There were murmurs of assent and nods around the murder.

  
Immanuel was speechless at first, hearing the words of Flor and the other crows wash over and through him. Everyone had been talking about the bridge for months, watching the humans doing their silly survey work, but until the sign had been spotted it was dismissed as fearful paranoia.

In fact, Immanuel himself had been one of the proponents of ignoring the 'meritless' fears of The Old Rook and continuing on as normal, in their nesting trees in the middle of the Fox River. There were nearly fifty nests this year, an all-time high, and so many hatchlings that Immanuel hadn't wanted to cause undue chaos and risk the infant's lives.

But now, it seemed, they were already being risked.  
  
"How?" Immanuel finally stammered.

"How is it being started already? It's not even the peak construction season!"  
  
"Bridges take a long time," Sam said sagely.

"Got to go in stages. Level the ground with the stones, and all that shite. Could be that the bulldozers won't come til next year. But, we're not gonna last long if we try to wait til the stage where the 'dozers take our trees down."

"And I'm right there with you," said Flor, nodding in agreement to Sam.

  
"So where do we go?" another crow asked, whose name was Lester.

"The South Island is full of people, and the Northern islands are Heron and Egret territory. We'd have to fly further than we've ever been before! How will we do that with our children?"  
  
"Now, now, there's no need to panic just yet," Rhemus said, going over to Lester and grooming him, because the need to foster and comfort came naturally to him.

"They haven't broken ground yet. We still have a fortnight before October second. In two weeks, I think Jessie and Aggie will be strong enough to fly with us," he said reassuringly, and Lester nodded.  
  
"I sure hope so, Rhemus. I know we'll stick with the flock, whatever happens."  
  
"So what _is_ going to happen, Jarvis?" Immanuel asked, avoiding Flor's look of disgust at his informal addressing of their leader.

"Are we going to start scouting tonight for a new nesting area? It could take days to find a safe spot."  
  
"You're right, which is why we can waste no more time talking," the Old Rook replied, ignoring Immanuel's rudeness of addressing him by name and not title.

Now was not the time to play politics; there were lives on the line and Jarvis knew Immanuel respected him at the end of the day.

"You'll take Rhemus and whoever else wants to go with you, and not return until a suitable nesting location has been found."  
  
"But what about saying goodbye to our families?" Rhemus protested.

"Who will tell Sianda and my boys?"  
  
"There's no time," Immanuel squawked impatiently, and he stepped close to Rhemus, awkwardly grooming him-- Immanuel very rarely groomed others, and was one of the most isolated birds in the flock for it.

Rhemus, a little stunned, submit to his attentions.  
  
"I will notify your families of what you are doing, and we will await your prompt return," Jarvis declared in a grave tone.

"But for now you must fly! Quick, while there is still dusklight left!"  
  
Immanuel pulled away from Rhemus, and the two crows ascended into the night air, followed by Flor, and Hogarth, whose family had been eaten by hawks last year... he didn't talk much at all now, and silently followed them.  
  
Immanuel tried not to think about his own mate and children waiting for him, whom he had needlessly avoided all day after making sure they had food...

Rhemus had probably spent the whole day with Sianda and yet the stifled noises of grief his friend made as he flew upwards conveyed just how badly this was hurting him. Meanwhile, Immanuel thought of Julia and his three little nestlings and felt nothing.

 _Big Rook help_ _us,_ he thought, sighing as they flew higher.

_Big Rook help us all._

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't @ me about 'terms of venery' lol I want to call it a murder of crows and I can. I know "flock" is the right word for reals.
> 
> If you liked this please drop a kudos or comment and I'll add more eventually! :)


End file.
